5 Must-Do Road Trips by Car Around Bucharest

From Bucharest you can reach some of the most interesting sights in the country in less than two hours: lakes with monasteries on islands, fortresses linked to Vlad the Impaler, former princely courts and a nature park with a small delta. If you have a car and a free day or a weekend, you can drive any of these five routes at your own pace, without depending on train or intercity minibus timetables.

We chose five destinations that cover the whole range, from a 45-minute outing to a full-day round trip. For each one you will find the real distance from Bucharest, what is worth seeing, the best season and a driving tip that saves you an hour lost in traffic or at a crowded car park. If you haven’t booked a car yet, you can see all the options in our fleet and fill in the booking form in a few minutes with car rental Bucharest Otopeni, with the price shown instantly and no deposit.

1. Snagov Lake and Monastery: 40 minutes, the afternoon outing

Snagov is about 40 km north of Bucharest, on the DN1. From the north of the city (Pipera, Băneasa) you usually get there in 35–45 minutes, a little longer if you leave from the centre at rush hour. The lake is more than 15 km long and, on a small island, hosts the monastery of the same name, built in the 16th century and known above all for the legend that Vlad the Impaler is buried here. Historians disagree on this, but the empty tomb in the church remains one of the most photographed spots in the area.

Besides the monastery, which you reach by boat from the nearby jetty for a small fee, the lakeshore has restaurants with terraces on the water, rowing clubs and short trails through the oak forest. In summer you can rent pedal boats or SUP boards, and in winter, when the lake freezes in places along the edges, it is a quiet spot for a walk of a few hours.

The best season for water activities is May to September, but the monastery and the forest are enjoyable to visit the rest of the year too, when they are less crowded.

Driving tip: the DN1 towards Snagov gets busy on Saturdays and especially on Sunday afternoons, on the way back to Bucharest, so set off early in the morning if you can. The car park by the jetty is free, but has few spaces at weekends. If it is full, you will find a few unpaved spots along the road to the monastery. As it is a short route, any economy car such as the Dacia Logan or the Fiat Tipo copes without problems and keeps fuel consumption low.

2. Peleș Castle, Sinaia and the Prahova Valley: 1h30, a day trip

Sinaia is about 120 km from Bucharest, on the DN1 via Ploiești and Comarnic. The drive normally takes an hour and a half, but can stretch to two hours in summer or on busy weekends, when the Prahova Valley becomes one of the busiest road corridors in the country.

Peleș Castle, built at the end of the 19th century as King Carol I’s summer residence, is considered one of the best-preserved castles in Eastern Europe. Allow at least an hour and a half for the interior tour, plus time for the gardens and for Pelișor, the smaller castle nearby. In the area you can also visit Sinaia Monastery, the oldest building in the resort (1695), or take the cable car up to Cota 1400 and Cota 2000 for a panorama of the Bucegi Mountains.

The best season is June to September, when all sections of the castle are open and the nearby mountain trails are walkable. In winter Peleș stays open, but with reduced hours, and there may be stretches of snow and ice on the mountain roads.

Driving tip: on the Prahova Valley, winter tyres are required by law between 1 November and 31 March, and the cars in our fleet have them fitted automatically during this period. Parking in central Sinaia is limited on Saturdays and Sundays. The easiest solution is the official paid car park by the Peleș entrance, which almost always has free spaces. On the hairpin bends in the area, a comfortable car such as the Renault Megane or the Opel Insignia handles very well over long distances. If you are travelling as a family with luggage, the 7-seat Opel Zafira offers more room. You will find a detailed comparison in the article SUV or sedan: how to choose the right car.

3. Curtea de Argeș and Poenari Fortress: 2 hours, a full-day route

Curtea de Argeș is about 180 km from Bucharest, usually on the A1 motorway to Pitești and then on the DN73C. The drive takes around two hours in normal traffic.

In town, the Curtea de Argeș Monastery, Romania’s royal necropolis where Kings Carol I and Ferdinand are buried, stands out for its Byzantine-Oriental exterior decoration, unique among Romanian churches. About 25 minutes away, on the shore of the Vidraru reservoir, stands Poenari Fortress, the real stronghold associated with Vlad the Impaler, far more historically authentic than Bran Castle. It is reached by 1,480 concrete steps, a 20–30 minute effort, but the view over the Argeș Valley from the top is worth the climb.

The best season is May to October: the steps up to Poenari become slippery and dangerous in rain or snow, and access is temporarily closed in bad weather.

Driving tip: on Romania’s motorways and national roads the road vignette (rovinieta) is mandatory and also covers the motorways; it is not just a toll as in other countries. The cars in our fleet already include it, so you don’t need to buy anything separately. The car park at the foot of Poenari Fortress is small and unpaved. Arrive early in the morning at weekends, otherwise you may have to park by the roadside. As this is a route of more than 350 km there and back, mileage matters: all cars in our fleet have unlimited kilometres, and on return you are only asked for the same fuel level as at pick-up, nothing more. For such a long drive, a comfortable diesel sedan like the Ford Mondeo, or the Hyundai Kona compact SUV for the mountain stretch, are solid choices. If you want to understand how no-deposit rental works before you set off, read the guide on no-deposit car rental at Otopeni.

4. Târgoviște, the former princely capital: 1h15, a half-day outing

Târgoviște is about 85 km north-west of Bucharest, on the DN7 or DN71. The drive takes about an hour and a quarter in normal traffic, a little longer if there are roadworks on the DN7. Check before you leave, as sections of this route are often under repair.

The Princely Court of Târgoviște was the residence of the rulers of Wallachia for more than three centuries, including Vlad the Impaler and Michael the Brave. The symbol of the site is the Chindia Tower, a 15th-century watchtower rebuilt in the 19th century, which offers a good view over the whole complex. Nearby, the History Museum and the Gheorghe Petrașcu House-Studio round off a two-to-three-hour visit.

The best season is practically all year round, but spring and autumn are the most pleasant for walking around the open court. At midday in summer it can be too hot, as the paths have little shade.

Driving tip: the route is simple, with no mountain sections, so it suits any car class. A Fiat Tipo or a Dacia Logan copes without problems and keeps the cost per kilometre low. The car park next to Chindia Park is free and usually has spaces, even at weekends.

5. Comana Nature Park: 45 minutes, a short family outing

Comana is about 45 km south of Bucharest, on the DN5 and then a county road. From the south of the city you get there in about 45 minutes.

This is the largest protected area near the capital, a zone of marshland and floodplain forest sometimes called “the little delta next to Bucharest”, with more than 3,000 hectares of reserve. You can take boat trips along the channels and go birdwatching (more than 130 species, including herons and gulls). Next to the entrance is Comana Monastery, founded in the 16th century, also with historical links to the time of Vlad the Impaler.

The best season is April to June and September, when the vegetation is at its fullest and birds are easiest to spot. Avoid the days after heavy rain, when the dirt access roads become hard to drive.

Driving tip: the last stretch to the reserve is a county road, not always perfectly paved, so we recommend a car with slightly higher ground clearance: the Hyundai Kona or, for families with children and luggage, the 7-seat Opel Zafira. Being a short outing, the route hardly adds to the mileage, but it is worth booking in advance at weekends, as the parking spaces by the monastery fill up quickly after ten in the morning.

Quick recap before you set off

Whichever route you choose, a few simple checks save you from surprises:

• ✓Check the documents needed to rent a car in advance: ID card or passport and driving licence; no card is needed for a deposit.
• ✓The minimum age to rent is 21, with a licence held for at least one year (drivers under 21 can rent with an extra insurance fee of €10 per day). Check this before choosing the car.
• ✓For mountain routes such as Sinaia or Curtea de Argeș, choose May to October if you want full access to all sights.
• ✓The road vignette is already included in the fleet cars, so there is no need to buy it separately for national roads or motorways.
• ✓For short outings such as Snagov or Comana, an economy car lowers the cost per kilometre. For mountain routes or long distances, a comfortable sedan or a compact SUV offers more comfort.
• ✓All cars in the fleet have unlimited kilometres, which helps especially on the Curtea de Argeș route, which exceeds 350 km there and back.
• ✓Book early at weekends and especially in summer, when demand rises sharply at all three pick-up locations.

The booking process is the same for all routes: you choose the car, the dates and the pick-up place, instantly see the final price with no deposit, and fill in the online form in a few minutes. After you send it, our team calls you to confirm. You can pick up the car in central Bucharest, at Henri Coandă Airport in Otopeni — see car rental Otopeni Airport — or in the Băneasa area, whichever is most convenient for your route. If you want to know more about us and how we work, the about us page briefly presents the team’s experience, and the full fleet is one click away if you want to see all available cars before choosing your route.

See also: car rental Otopeni · fleet of available cars · Renault Megane · Hyundai Kona

Frequently asked questions

What are the closest car trips from Bucharest?

Snagov Lake (about 40 minutes) and Comana Nature Park (about 45 minutes) are the closest outings, good for half a day.

Can I visit Peleș Castle in a single day from Bucharest?

Yes. Sinaia is about an hour and a half from Bucharest, so you can visit Peleș and the Prahova Valley on a day trip.

Which car should I rent for trips around Bucharest?

For day trips an economical compact car is enough. For mountain drives, a compact SUV such as the Hyundai Kona offers more comfort.

October 2026 update: in the low season many of these routes are much quieter and parking is easier to find. Just check the opening hours, which may be shorter in autumn and winter.

If you want to compare more offers, you can also find no-deposit car rental Otopeni, with pick-up right at the airport, as well as no-deposit car rental Bucharest for those collecting the car in the city. In both cases no amount is blocked on your card.